Chapter 25: Losses
I decided to stop by the Three Broomsticks before heading home for the night. My mind still could not seem to make any sense of this newly found information. Had Zabini found out? Did Albus know? What about Severus? He had always been close to Narcissa.
"Remus!" Rosmerta smiled jovially as she made her way over to where I sat. "What brings you to these parts? No more trouble at Hogwarts is there?"
"No, no trouble," I assured. "Just visiting an old friend and thought I'd get a red rum currant before going home."
"Ah," Rosmerta said with a wink and a knowing nod as she went to get my drink.
I really hated all the speculation, but no one ever believed me when I refuted the claims that Ginny and I weren't a couple anyway.
"Here you go," Rosmerta said as she handed me my drink.
I nodded my thanks, handed her several sickles, and downed my drink. My head had begun to hurt from the days events, so I decided it was time to go home.
Oddly enough, Ginny wasn't home when I arrived. I found it strange that there was no note, but thought I'd give it a bit before I started to get really worried. I took off my robes and sank into my chair in the study.
"Remus, Remus, wake up." It was Ron.
"What's wrong?" was all I could say as I slowly opened my eyes.
"Nothing really," Ron answered as he sat in Ginny's chair. "Ginny just wasn't feeling so good this afternoon, so she went to the Burrow. Mum said she was sleeping so soundly that she didn't want to wake her. She tried to Floo you, but you didn't answer."
"But Ginny's all right?"
"Yeah, fine."
"That's good," I uttered, trying to collect my senses. I knew it was late, so I briefly glanced at the clock; it was a quarter past eleven. I hadn't meant to sleep so long.
"So what happened at lunch today?" Ron asked, eyeing me carefully. "Everything all right?"
"That all depends on what your definition of all right is, I suppose," I answered. "I did have a few things I wanted to discuss with Ginny, but that can wait until tomorrow."
Once again, Ron gave me the strangest of looks. "If you say so, Moony, if you say so."
With that, he left me to my own thoughts.
In some strange way my mind didn't want to accept the fact that Narcissa wasn't Draco's mother. It also seemed peculiar that so few people knew. Surely Narcissa's sisters knew, at least Bellatrix.
"But Lucius wouldn't want it to be common knowledge that Draco wasn't a pureblood," I reasoned with myself.
Knowing Ginny was safe at the Burrow, I retired to my bedroom.
###
There was quite an uprising happening at the Ministry when I arrived the next morning.
"What's going on?" I asked an onlooker before risking the crowd gathered in front of the building.
"You haven't heard?" The person looked shocked. "It's the only thing being talked about on the WWN this morning."
I have to say that I hated people's ignorance sometimes. If I had known what was going on, I surely wouldn't have asked. "I didn't turn it on this morning, sorry."
"They went to arrest some witch saying she's been the one reuniting the Death Eaters, making the threats on Hogwarts, and behind the murder attempts on Mrs. Potter's life!"
"But they didn't arrest her?" I asked, a bit confused by what was said.
"Nope," he answered. "Reports say she pulled her wand out and started hexing everyone around."
Then another bloke jumped in. "The Aurors fired back with stunning spells, but apparently she was in fragile health and it killed her."
The words 'fragile health' made my heart sink. I tore through the crowd, pushing people out of my way when necessary. There were reporters flooding the lobby of the Ministry building, and Emery was dashing their questions as fast as they were being tossed at him.
Then they saw me.
My name had apparently been linked to whatever was going on because they immediately turned their attention to me. Questions were being fired like well-aimed hexes. Then I heard the question that nearly brought me to my knees.
"What was your relationship with the recently deceased Ysonde Averyl?"
Recently deceased. Those words echoed in my ears. How could this be? I soon found myself being pulled through the lobby by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Lee Jordan, followed closely by Severus and Emery.
Once into the nearest office, Emery turned me towards him and grabbed me by the shoulders firmly. "I didn't want you to hear it like this," he said sternly, trying to make sure I wasn't going to lose my temper.
"What has happened?" I asked. I could feel my jaw begin to set and my shoulders tense. I knew what was coming.
"Ysonde Averyl was apprehended this morning," Emery continued. "She had been linked to the recent Death Eater activity."
Before I realized what I had done, I had rather harshly shoved Emery away from me, sending him sailing across the room. Severus stopped Kingsley from further restraining me, and Lee just stood by and watched.
"She was no more a Death Eater than you or I, and you know it Emery!" I growled.
"We know," Severus continued.
"Someone had to have followed me," I continued on my rampage, pacing peevishly. "Bloody hell, I led the killers right to her. This is my fault!"
The next thing I remember is looking up to see Emery and Severus gazing down at me.
"Sorry, mate," Emery smiled sheepishly. "Couldn't have you losing it."
"It was a good show," Severus quipped as they aided me to my feet.
It was only the three of us that remained in the small office. I briefly wondered where Shaklebolt and Lee had gone, but that thought quickly passed.
"I need for you to finish what you've started Remus," Emery continued. "You're too close, that much is obvious."
"Who did this?" I asked angrily. "Obviously it was either law enforcement wizards or Aurors."
"It was both," Emery sighed. "But it's unclear where the commands came from at the moment. Some of them were just acting on what they thought were legitimate orders."
"It's pretty obvious we have a leak in the department," Severus added.
"And it's going to be hard to find out who," Emery concluded.
It was becoming clear that Emery had a plan, he was just unsure of how to present it to me.
"So now what?" I asked, trying to oblige.
"We need to let them think we think the case is solved," he continued slowly. "And I think in order to do that, I'm going to have to suspend you, Remus."
If I had a mirror, I'm sure I would have seen myself looking rather dangerously at my boss. My biggest lead and old friend had just been murdered. I had led the killer right to her, and he wanted to suspend me?
"Who ever it is needs to think Emery doesn't trust you," Severus explained.
"And let me guess," I said with a heavy sigh, "you, I and Severus are the only ones who'll know the truth, right?"
Emery hesitated. He didn't appear to like this any more than I was going to. "Remus, if there was any other way," he said.
I nodded. I knew that he thought he was doing the right thing. "With Ginny nearing the end of her pregnancy, it's probably better if I'm home more now anyway."
Emery sighed. "Thanks."
I packed up my belongings, gave Ron all my files, and went home. I was surprised to find Ginny there when I returned. Apparently I startled her when I Apparated into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry," I started.
"It's all right," she answered. "What are you doing home so early?"
"Let me make some tea first," I semi-smiled.
Since I boil water to make tea, it took me several minutes to complete the process. I found Ginny sitting in the garden absorbing the sun. I handed her a cup and sat next to her on the veranda. We sat there in silence for a few moments, both sipping our tea and enjoying the warmth of the sun.
I must say she looked radiant as she sat there, sun glistening off freckle-dusted cheekbones.
"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" she finally asked.
A sigh escaped me before I started the story. I tried carefully not to say anything that would make Ginny feel like this was her fault in any way, or to let on that I was still actually working the case. Emery expressed that he would rather keep that quiet.
"Are you serious?" she said, infuriated. "I'm going to go speak with Emery right now!"
She started to get up, until I put an assuring hand on her arm causing her to stop.
"I'm all right with this decision, Ginny," I said. What amazed me the most was that I actually was all right with it.
She stared at me for a few moments in disbelief. "So now what?"
"It's only a suspension," I said, trying to sound calming. "It will all blow over soon, and I'll be back to work in no time."
She nodded and rubbed her pregnant stomach. For a brief moment it appeared that all was right with the world.
###
Molly dropped Meredith and Nathaniel off early Saturday. I have to admit I had forgotten that we had agreed to baby sit this weekend.
"You be good for your Uncle Remus and Aunt Ginny," Molly warned the children. "Your father will be by tomorrow to pick you up when he's finished up out at Hogwarts."
"Tomorrow?" I didn't remember Ginny saying anything about them staying overnight.
"Yes, dear," Molly answered with a smile. "Didn't Ginny tell you? Arthur and I will be gone all week, and Ron's out at Hogwarts helping with the reconstruction."
"Oh," was all I could answer. Molly left, leaving only myself with the two kids as Ginny hadn't woken up yet.
Merry gave me a slight hug as she made her way to the sofa. She opened up her knapsack and rustled through it until she found the book she wanted to read. Nat on the other hand, bounded into my arms, gave me a sloppy kiss and big hug. "I'm hungry," he smiled.
"You are your father's son," I laughed. "Merry, are you hungry also?"
Apparently this question took some thought. "Yes, a little," she replied hesitantly.
"Grandma fixed black puddin'," Nat started to explain. "It wasn't very good."
I nodded my understanding and placed Nat down at the kitchen table. He immediately pulled out a coloring book and crayons from his knapsack and began coloring. It seemed to me that one didn't need to press quite so hard on the paper with the crayon, but it seemed to be taking a great deal of concentration to do so. I soon returned my attention to the matter at hand - breakfast.
Ginny woke just as I was finishing frying eggs for breakfast. She absentmindedly gave Nat a squeeze as she sat down beside him at the table. "Something smells good," she muttered as she brushed her hair out of her face with her hands.
"Uncle Remus is fixin' us more breakfast," Nat chimed in.
"More breakfast?" she grinned. "Grandma must have fixed black pudding."
It turned out to be a warm summer day, so Ginny and I took the kids to the park to play. The heat seemed to intensify Ginny's pregnancy discomfort, but she seemed to take it all in stride.
We played on the swings, the slide and both Nat and Merry just about wore out my arm on the merry-go-round. After several hours of arduous playing, Ginny spread out a blanket and unpacked a picnic lunch. She had prepared a chicken Chaud-froid, something I hadn't remembered having since my youth, some new potatoes with dressing, and a summer pudding that looked delectable. She had also packed a few sandwiches and biscuits for the children, along with a few butter beers and some pumpkin juice.
"You think of everything," I commended as the children and I got comfortable on the blanket.
"Yes I do," she replied with a smile.
Getting Nat to settle down enough to eat was a task I was unprepared for. He bounced around like a Mexican jumping bean, but once Ginny reprimanded him firmly, he settled right down and ate his lunch. Once his tummy was full, he fell fast asleep.
"I suppose that's why he wouldn't sit down?" I asked naively as I scooped him up off the blanket as we prepared to return home.
"I would imagine," Ginny answered tiredly. "Ron used to act the same way."
Merry took Ginny's hand as we strolled back to the house. Thank goodness it wasn't far. A hard day of play and a plethora of good food and we were all ready for a nap. Ginny and Merry had gone to lie down in Ginny's room, I laid Nathaniel down on the sofa, and I settled into my chair in the study. I didn't even bother to pick up a book with the pretense of reading; I'm sure I was asleep within a matter of minutes.
It was early evening before I finally awoke. Ginny was reading on the sofa as Merry sat below her quietly coloring in a book. Nat seemed to have an overabundance of energy, but was playing with some Quidditch figurines in the middle of the living room.
"You should have woke me," I yawned.
Ginny laughed. "I tried."
I found myself on the floor with Nat making his little figurines fly around the little Quidditch pitch. Nat laughed as he orchestrated what he wanted each little man to do.
Trying not to feel my age, I attempted to bound up off the floor. It perhaps would have had a more profound effect had every bone and joint in my body not decided to crack and pop at that very moment.
Ginny suppressed a giggle behind her book and Merry merely rolled her eyes.
"I have an idea," I said as I finally straightened myself out. "Let's go out for dinner."
"The Leaky Cauldron?" Nat asked.
"No," Ginny answered, a smile slowly lighting up her face. "I think I need a milkshake!"